


What family means

by LittleTurtle95



Category: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Banter, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Concerned Dads Magnus And Alec, Cool Aunt Clary Fray, Cool Aunt Isabelle Lightwood, Cute Max Lightwood-Bane, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Rings, First Christmas, Happy Lightwood Family, Heart-to-Heart, Light-Hearted, M/M, Maryse Lightwood Redemption, Mood Swings, Nostalgia, Rafael Lightwood-Bane Has Feelings, Robert Lightwood Redemption, Supportive Jace Wayland, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uncle nephew bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28193409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTurtle95/pseuds/LittleTurtle95
Summary: This is the first Christmas for Rafael at the Lightwood-Bane household, and the kid isn’t having his best time just yet. Luckily, Alec knows exactly who to ask for help.Prompt: Rafe's first Christmas in his new home.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood & Max Lightwood-Bane & Rafael Lightwood-Bane, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Maryse Lightwood & Robert Lightwood, Maryse Lightwood/Kadir Safar, Max Lightwood-Bane & Rafael Lightwood-Bane, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Rafael Lightwood-Bane & Jace Wayland, Simon Lewis & Jace Wayland, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Comments: 24
Kudos: 122





	What family means

**Author's Note:**

> I was looking for some cute Christmas prompts and @khaleesiofalicante had the best idea ever, so here we are! Thanks, lovely 💚
> 
> P.S.  
> This is the twentieth fic in the Shadowhunter fandom for me and I am so excited for this so yay congrats me!!

“No, Jafe. Adamaf daggerf are not a fuitable gift for a fix yearf old, not even if he’f a Fhadowhunter-”

Magnus opened the door and these were the words he first heard as he set foot in the house. Alec was pacing the living room with the phone between his ear and shoulder, one hand holding a glass jar and the other stuffing cinnamon cookies in his mouth, an early gift from Maya for the Alliance’s Secret Santa they had the week before. 

It was nine thirty in the morning and the kids were still sleeping – Simon and Isabelle had brought them ice skating the day before, and they had come back home dead tired, so Magnus expected them not to wake up for at least another half an hour – and Magnus had been out for the last part of the Christmas shopping while Alec was waiting at home in case they had woken up earlier than expected.

As soon as he saw Magnus at the door he gulped down his mouthful of cookies and quickly muttered “Ask Clary, but don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!” finally closing the call.

“Always the most charming, my love,” Magnus said, smiling. The sarcasm in his voice was partially ruined by his cat pupils blown wide, sign that he was very much liking what he saw, despite of whatever he was saying.

He always loved when Alec was in full fearless warrior mode, Raziel if Shadowhunters in action were hot, but he liked his Alec like this too, with his guard down, like he finally knew he didn’t always have to look flawless when it was just the two of them.

“How did the shopping go?” Alec asked, not even bothering to address Magnus’ comment.

“Oh, just lovely. I’ve bought some ingredients that Catarina is going to adore, and look at what I found!” he said, showing him the ugly frowning green gnome with a white beard and a red pointed hat he bought for two dollars at a thrift shop with a huge grin.

“Oh, it’s very… nice,” Alec muttered, coming closer and giving it a concerned look.

“Don’t try so hard dear, I know it’s horrifying. It’s Ragnor’s gift, this stupid thing looks just like him and I _had_ to buy it!”

Alec couldn’t suppress a snort. “It does! It really looks kinda like him…”

“He’ll loathe it,” Magnus said, proudly.

Alec smiled. He knew Magnus was still hurt about the whole fake death and Shinyun accident, but it was obvious that he was still attached to his friend and they were slowly getting back to their usual selves.

Alec grabbed Magnus hips and pulled him closer, and all the bags full of gifts that he was holding flew under the Christmas tree in the middle of the living room. 

Magnus tilted down his head just a little bit, because Alec was just that little bit shorter than him, and kissed him. It was a calm, sloppy, slow kiss that quickly turned deep and all consuming. 

Magnus slipped his hands under the ugly oversized red and green tartan sweater that was the only remotely Christmas piece of clothing Alec owned and the world lit up like a match for a moment.

“Now now, things are finally getting interesting,” Magnus purred.

“Oh, yeah,” Alec said, his eyes shining in anticipation. “I think it’s finally time to get to the best part.”

“We’re waking the boys, are we?” asked Magnus with a soft smile.

Alec nodded. “We’re waking the boys.” 

This was Rafael’s first Christmas with them and they were doing their best to make him feel like he belonged, even more than usual.

He had started to get gloomy as the holidays approached, and despite never talking about his birth parents, he sometimes looked out of the window and just sighed with a frown.

Magnus, Alec and, most of all, _Max_ weren’t going to allow that.

Alec gave him a peck on the lips once more and Magnus winked.

When they finally let go Magnus got rid of his coat with the snap of his fingers and they walked silently to Rafe’s room.

For Christmas’ Eve the two brothers, exhausted for all the skating, had fallen asleep still fully clothed in Max’s bed while Magnus was trying to read them a story, and he decided to let them both rest there.

They exchanged a quick and slightly scared look. 

“What if he doesn’t-” Alec whispered.

“He’ll be fine,” said Magnus. “But what if _we_ don’t-”

“We’ll be good,” said Alec, and put his hand on the door handle.

Magnus nodded. He had Alec. They had Max. Rafe was safe. It was a white Christmas. Everything was going to be all right.

Alec pushed the door open and gasped, covering his mouth with his hands not to make a sound. He looked at Magnus to look for advice, but he just smiled and shrugged.

“Looks like someone is having a good dream,” he whispered, barely audible.

The two kids were snuggled up in Max’s bed, under a pile of blankets, many more than the ones they had the last time their parents saw them, undoubtedly conjured up by Max’s during their sleep. 

Rafael had a pink beanie on his head and Max had a big blue scarf around his neck, both items that Alec nor Magnus had ever seen before, all things inadvertently stolen all around the neighborhood during one of Max’s dreams.

But the most notable change in the room was, without doubt, the three feet of snow on the floor, snow that was still coming down from the ceiling, slow but steady, falling in beautiful circles, light as a feather.

“It’s freezing!” Alec hissed, “what if they catch a cold? Mum is coming today, I’ll never hear the end of it, I-”

“Nah, it’s Max’s fault. We’ll blame him and Maryse won’t be able to get pissed. She has the softest spot for him”

“She won’t get mad at him. But at _me_? Hell, yeah.”

Magnus shook his head, stifling a laugh. “They won’t catch a cold, okay? See? He conjured some extra blankets!”

“Oh right, yeah, he conjured some blankets, that makes it so much bet-”

“Dada?” the soft whisper that came from Max’s mouth was so low they nearly missed it.

“Hey, my baby,” was Alec’s immediate response, just like it always was.

“Bapak?” mumbled Rafael, squeezing his eyes tighter.

“The one and only. Good morning sleepy heads.”

“Come on,” said Alec, “time to get up, you two!”

“ _No_ ,” hissed Rafael coldly, and turned to face the wall without even opening his eyes. 

Max, on the other hand, blinked them open immediately. He stared at the snowy room for a few seconds in utter silence, then he smiled his best toothless smile and screamed.

“ _Aaaaaah_!” he shrieked, extremely proud of himself, looking at all that snow.

He trotted out of bed and Magnus made him levitate in his arms. “Hey, chill down blue octopus, the neighbors are really going to kill us this time.”

Hearing the scream, Rafael immediately sat on the bad, suddenly tense. Alec was already coming closer to soothe him – sometimes when he startled he had moments of panic, like every time Magnus or Alec didn’t show up for more than one day – when he noticed his surroundings and froze.

He still wasn’t used to snow, and every time they went outside he stared at it half charmed half concerned.

He looked at the snowflakes dance down the ceiling with wide dark eyes, while Max, still in Magnus’ arms, tilted his head back and stuck out his tongue hoping for some snowflakes to fall on it.

Rafael held out a hand, his palm up, and some snow finally landed on it. He observed it closely, then dried his hand on the blankets and shook his head with a huff.

“Merry Christmas, Rafe,” Alec said carefully, waiting for a reaction.

The kid looked at him, still without saying a word, eyes glassy.

Magnus scratched Max’s head, careful to avoid the horns, already less positive than a few minutes earlier. 

Maybe it was too much for him. Maybe Christmas reminded him of his birth family, maybe it reminded him of the werewolf woman that took care of him in Buenos Aires, maybe of Raziel knew what, and maybe this was hurting him too much to let him enjoy this day.

“Rafe sad? I don’t want him sad,” Max muttered.

Rafael didn’t look like he heard him. He finally stood up on the bed and hold out his arms in a silent request. Alec picked him up like a second nature, like the sunflowers turn to face the sun or the salmon swims upstream. 

Magnus didn’t think there was a world were Alec wouldn’t pick up a kid when asked, especially _his_ kid.

Max cheered, extremely satisfied with himself and glad that his brother looked okay for now.

“Who wants some chocolate?” asked Magnus, shutting off the snow with a small movement of his wrist.

The scream he heard in response was clear enough.

When they finally got to the kitchen, he summoned two mugs of hot chocolate with cinnamon, giving them one each and making sure they weren’t too hot. 

Alec placed Rafael on the kitchen counter and started to make some coffee for himself, while Rafael started rambling to Max about a certain Luke Skywalker uncle Simon loved to talk about.

Magnus was freeing them from their winter clothes, without the snow there was no use for them inside, and summoned Max a blue and white _Stitch_ ’s Christmas sweater and Rafe a red and black _Death Star_ one, both too lost in the story to notice. 

He exchanged with Alec another quick look. Everything was going okay for now, both kids looked comfortable and relaxed, and Rafael wasn’t as gloomy as the past week.

Alec opened his mouth to say something when his phone buzzed.

Magnus felt dread wash over him. He knew Alec was never off duty, he knew demons didn’t care about Christmas, but the last thing he wanted was the father of his children outside, risking his life for the sake of humanity on Christmas’ day.

When Alec’s face fell, Magnus was absolutely sure he was going to say _I’m going out, don’t wait for me tonight_ , but what came out of his mouth was somehow even worse.

“Dad’s not going to make it.”

It wasn’t a real tragedy on itself, not for Magnus anyway, – Belial knew how much he preferred when Robert wasn’t there, he always made everything more awkward and tense – but he knew Alec was trying to get closer to him again and that the kids would have wanted him there.

“Oh dear, I-”

“It’s fine. I… I’m used to it. It’s not the first time, it’s… I’m fine. It’s fine. Really. It’s just… the kids-”

“YES!”

“NO!”

“YES!”

“NO!”

“YES!”

“NO!”

“Hey, you two, what’s going on now?” Magnus turned just in time to see Rafael touch Max with a palm full of chocolate straight on the face, giving him a huge brown print on the cheek. “Rafe, no! Don’t-”

The kids started screaming at the same time, a flood of words that sounded something like s _hadowhunter - you’re not one - yes I am - no you’re not - yes - boloudo_ but Alec was already wiping Max’s chocolatey face and scolding Rafe with a stern “We’re not giving you more chocolate now, you wasted yours, so don’t ask for another mug!”

And was looking so serious in his ugly tartan sweater, wiping chocolate off the cheek of a two years old blue kid, that Magnus almost felt like laughing.

He couldn’t believe this was his life, now. “Everyone, stop fighting. It’s time for very serious business now,” ha said, and all the eyes landed on him. He smiled his sliest smile. “Time to choose Chairman’s outfit for today!”

Alec barked out a laugh and looked at the unsuspecting cat sleeping under a chair. 

Magnus snapped his fingers and something like two dozens of tiny cat Christmas sweaters started levitating in the room.

“This family is a democracy, therefore we’ll vote. But since I’m the cat’s owner and given that we’re four, if we’re even my vote counts twice as yours.”

“I don’t think this is how democracy works,” said Alec with a smile.

“ _Ese_!” said Rafael, jolting up and nearly falling from the counter to take one.

“No! That one!” screamed Max.

That was going to be a long morning.

After they settled for one cat’s outfit, managed to put it on Chairman without getting stabbed by his claws, watched Frozen, played snowball fights in the house with magic as a direct consequence of watching Frozen – Elsa and her powers be damned, they were going to have snow in the house for weeks now like the time they watched _a bug’s life_ and they had the loft full of ants for more than ten days – and baked gingerbread cookies they were finally ready to go to the institute to celebrate. 

At first they had thought about walking there, the air was chilly but not freezing, it wasn’t snowing anymore and the streets were fully decorated, but Rafael was suddenly looking gloomy again so they decided to just portal there for less trouble.

Alec sent them to change with a light slap and they trotted in the respective rooms. As soon as both doors were closed, he released a long breath.

“Do you think we should talk to him?” asked Magnus. “Or should we just give him space?”

Alec bit his lower lip considering the options. “I think… I think we’ll have to ask the expert on this one.”

“The expert?” asked Magnus, frowning.

Alec smiled at him then, and it wasn’t his shy smile of when he was embarrassed, nor it was his cunning smile of whenever he made a snarky comment, it wasn’t the breathy smile with red cheeks he sometimes had in bed either, nor the lovestruck smile he often stared at the kids with.

It was a soft smile, almost sad, with real fondness in it and painful care.

Magnus knew that smile. It used to annoy him at the beginning of their relationship, but now he knew what it meant. “Oh, yeah. _The expert_.”

* * *

When they successfully portalled to the institute, the first thing they heard was Maryse’s cooing. 

“Where are the most wonderful babies on the planet? Where are them?”

Magnus had never seen Max fly faster than that moment, right in her arms. Kadir was a few feet behind, looking at them in amusement and slight concern. He was still a bit uncertain about Max, especially after the weekend they left him at the institute the year before.

Even Rafael roared and ran to jump on the woman, hugging her neck.

Maryse was used to carry babies and even more used to fight demons, so she held them both at ease.

“Here they are!”

The kids started talking at the same time, everyone trying to overcome the other’s voice and she barely contained a smile, trying to listen to both of them at once.

Like every time the kids, _his_ kids, hugged her and kissed her cheeks and looked like there was nowhere they would rather be then in her arms he felt a stab in his heart, remembering how much time had passed since the first time he saw her, when she was a lost kid with a bad lead and a too many weights on her shoulders.

And look at her now.

Kadir approached them and shook their hands awkwardly like he always did, always a little hesitant.

“Happy Holidays,” said Alec, with his best convincing smile.

“A real pleasure,” Magnus added.

The institute was fully decorated for Christmas, something that Alec said was fairly uncommon. Shadowhunters weren’t exactly party animals, and their family had never been the most invested in Christmas, often his parents weren’t even there for the day and the kids spent the holidays with Hodge.

All this meant that they jusy wanted to humour the kids with the decor, and that only made it all better.

“Beware!” the sudden scream made everyone flinch and everybody looked up and saw Isabelle running down the stairs with a big grin, followed by a struggling Clary with the arms full of wrapped gifts. “Your favourite aunt is here!”

“I guess you’re talking about me then,” Clary said, and Isabelle turned back and stuck out her tongue as an answer. Max giggled.

“Really? The tongue? Well, we’ll see,” said Clary with a winning smile. She winked down at Magnus, still in the middle of the stairs – oh how much Magnus loved her and her short legs – , she held closer the gifts in her arms and asked “who wants to open presents?”

“Now, that’s cheating,” Isabelle muttered.

As Rafael ran to help Clary with the wrapped boxes, Maryse could finally focus on her son. She squeezed Max tighter in her arms and he sighed contentedly. “Magnus, Alec, we have to talk about something. I don’t know if Robert told you, but-”

“There’s nothing to talk about, mom. It’s fine. Where’s Jace?”

“No, Alec, listen-”

“I said it’s fine. Where’s Jace?”

“Upstairs,” huffed Isabelle, looking at Clary and Rafael with a pout. “He’s beating up Simon with a candy cane because he destroyed him at videogames. They’ll be down in a sec, they didn’t want to teach violence to the kids.”

“Sounds very unlike them,” Magnus commented. 

“Fine, Clary asked them to keep it upstairs not to teach violence to the kids.”

“Now it makes perfect sense.”

“Great,” Alec said, “I’m going.”

“But Alec-” Maryse tried again.

“I don’t want to talk about it. He’s not coming, it’s fine, it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last,” he said dryly, then looked up at Magnus and raised his brows slightly.

It was their _is it fine if I leave you alone with the kids or will you need me_ look.

Magnus’ lips curved up in a small smile. It was their language, and it was lovely.

“Go get your man, tiger.”

“He’s so stubborn,” said Maryse, looking at him disappear up the stairs. “Why is he always so stubborn?”

Magnus shrugged. “I have no idea. If only we knew who raised him…”

Maryse looked startled by his comment, and Magnus asked himself if he overstepped.

Then she did something she didn’t do so often, even if it was way less rare when the kids were around.

She laughed.

“Okay, fine. I deserved that.”

When a few minutes later Alec came down with Jace and Simon, both with hair disheveled and cheeks red – Shadowhunters always looked like they had just finished demon hunting, fight training or a heated make out session – he looked more relaxed, like he often was when his parabatai was nearby.

Simon trotted down the stairs and reached Isabelle, embracing her from behind and placing a small kiss behind her ear. He looked up warily to glance at Maryse, still afraid of her a bit, but the woman was smiling looking towards the kids and didn’t even bother to look at him.

“I annihilated your brother on GTA. He broke a candy cane on my head out of spite but it was worth it.”

“Of course it was, darling,” Isabelle cooed. “You’re the best. Well, after me of course.”

Jace and Alec reached Clary that was sitting down with the kids playing _guess whose gift it is_ , a not so funny game given that Max kept saying _dada_ for every present and Rafael kept saying _me?_

Jace bent down and kissed Clary’s head, muttering something like _it makes no difference if you’re sitting or standing because your legs are one inch tall_ and earning a well deserved elbow on the knees.

Jace’s smug grin didn’t falter. He patted Max’s head, then he looked at Rafael and asked. “So kiddo, do you want to see the new swords or-?”

“Yeah!” he screamed, immediately jolting up and making two excited small jumps.

“ _Grace,_ ” Magnus said, threatening. The shadowhunter had the bad habit to play with his children and very dangerous weapons. Too dangerous, for both Alec’s and Magnus’ liking.

“No,” Alec stopped him. “it’s okay. They’re going.”

“I too with unca Jace,” said Max with a grin.

“Oh no, you can’t follow them,” Alec said, touching the tip of his nose and picking him up the floor. “The two of us are going on a special mission, you’re much needed here.”

“Mission? Shadowhunter?”

Alec nodded, then gestured vaguely at Jace to go. “Exactly. A very shadowhunter mission. It’s called _call for takeout so aunt Isabelle won’t poison us_.”

“Say that again, you heathen!”

“See?” said Alec. “It’s a very dangerous mission indeed.”

“I hope he isn’t mentioning the falcon…” Magnus muttered, looking at Jace and Rafael going towards the training room.

“Nah,” Simon said, still hugging Isabelle. “Alec specifically asked not to mention any kind of birds breaking their necks when we were upstairs.”

* * *

“So, auntie’s whip is made of _electrum_. I prefer _adamas_ , because it’s way cooler and it’s more magical, but I guess electrum is fine too. Steel is not ideal for demons, but very cool for everything else, really.”

Rafael was listening to him intently, eyes fixed on him like he was the most important person on the planet.

“You know, my father taught me those things,” he said finally, his voice lower.

Rafael nodded like it was perfectly logical, and in a way it was.

“It wasn’t Robert though, it wasn’t your grandfather, you know. It was… someone else.”

“Really?” the kid asked, if possible even more interested than before. “Who was it?”

“Really. I am not… I am not going to talk about him, because it’s not important, but.. can I tell you a secret?”

Rafael nodded, but stayed silent.

“The first time I spent Christmas here at the Institute I didn’t like it a lot. I wasn’t used to celebrating, Maryse and Robert weren’t even at home and your dad and Isabelle were trying _so hard_ to keep me entertained and it _so_ didn’t work.”

“Why?”

“I guess… I guess it was because I didn’t want it to work. I had never needed anyone before and I didn’t want to need them, and I didn’t like they were trying to make me feel better because it was like assuming I wasn’t feeling good and it meant I wasn’t good enough at hiding it. So I shut them off and stayed in my room all day, and they sat just outside the door playing with Max - you know _that_ Max, right? - and I thought they were going to give up eventually. I finally came out of my room at night to steal some food, and when I opened the door I…”

“You what?” asked him, fully absorbed in the story. 

“They were still there, all of them. Max and Izzy had dozed off on the floor, and your brother was sitting there unfazed, he had covered them both with his hoodie while they were sleeping and was shivering with only a shirt on, he looked at me like he already knew I was going to come out sooner or later, like he had never had any doubt I was going to show up. And I felt so bad because I knew they had spent their Christmas out of my room when they had much better and far more fun things to do, and I didn’t even go out once to say hi. But he didn’t look mad. He smiled at me and told me _there are cookies downstairs, if you want_ ,” Jace sighed and wait for a few seconds before going on. “Just that, nothing else. I nodded and snuck out to eat the cookies – they were so good – and when I went back upstairs they were all gone. They had made sure I was okay and finally went to sleep.”

“And then what?”

Jace shrugged. “And then nothing, we never talked about it again. The point is…”

Jace saw Alec in front of him again, back in Izzy’s room, telling him _Please make him feel right. I don’t care about what you say - as long as it doesn’t feature any birds breaking their necks - just tell him whatever he’s feeling is all right. Please._ “The point is you don’t have to close up if you don’t want to. You can enjoy the party if you want, you’re allowed to relax, to just feel happy. But if you don’t, well… no one is going to stop treating you like we do. I guess the point is… if you’re going to keep being sad and not having fun we’ll be okay. If you try to relax because there are lots of fun things to do and you want to do them, well, it’s also okay. There are no wrong answers, okay? You don’t have to force yourself to keep feeling miserable and you don’t have to force yourself to keep feeling happy. You can feel however you want and act like it. You can even feel both good and bad at once. Everyone of us will be thrilled to have you anyway. Hell, no one stopped trying with me and I was a lot more insufferable than you, trust me,” he said, then added, “don’t tell your fathers I said _hell_.”

Rafael smiled with just that shadow of mischief that usually brought no good. “I think I like the whip more,” he said. “Than the knives, I mean.”

Jace finally relaxed and ruffled his hair. This was such an _Alec_ thing to do. “Well, your aunt will be ecstatic, then.”

* * *

Just a few minutes after Rafael and Jace had left, they heard a voice calling for them echoing through the corridors. 

Isabelle was the first to recognise it.

“Dad?” she asked, jumping up with Max in her arms. “I thought he wasn’t going to make it.”

“Yeah,” Maryse sighed, “that’s exactly what I wanted to say earlier, it’s just-”

“Hey everyone,” said Robert, peeking inside the room far more awkwardly than how a trained shadowhunter should do literally anything.

“Robert,” Kadir said, with a small smile that didn’t look half genuine. “Welcome back!”

“Hi,” Robert said, with an even faker smile. “Bluebell!” he called for next, not giving anyone else in the room a second glance and opening his arms. 

The baby let out an appreciative scream and Isabelle handed him to the man with a huff.

“Hey dad,” she said, and he didn’t look like he heard her at all, his eyes only on the baby. 

Simon suddenly looked pale, staring at Robert with wide eyes. He was still getting used to the man, but he usually could manage to look presentable when he was around. Not this time though, probably because usually he had at least one week of notice in advance to tell all his prep talks to the mirror.

Magnus felt Alec tense next to him and brushed a hand to his arm for comfort. Alec leaned into him slightly and interwined their fingers together.

After the right amount _ooohs_ and _aaaaws_ and belly scratches Robert turned to Maryse and asked her “Did you ask them yet?”

“No,” Maryse scoffed. “Because _your son_ didn’t want to talk about it.”

Robert made a face. “You don’t even want to talk about it?” he asked, looking genuinely hurt.

Alec frowned in confusion. “I have no idea what all of this is about.”

“So he didn’t say no, you didn’t tell him,” said Robert dryly.

“He didn’t let me tell him!” Maryse said, raising her voice. 

“Okay, enough,” said Isabelle, taking Max back from Robert’s hands. “You, _all_ of you, sort whatever this is somewhere else. We’re trying to have fun.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Alec said, and without letting go of Magnus’ hand, lead the way out of the room.

Magnus swallowed. He was many centuries old, but nothing was more concerning than a _We have to talk_ by his parents in law. _Lightwood_ parents in law, no less.

When they were out in the corridors Alec finally let go of him and crossed his arms. Now that he was in front of them Magnus could notice how similar he looked to the both of them. His stern face, bright blue eyes, raven hair darker than the purest ink, his rigid pose, everything. “So? What’s going on?”

Magnus appreciated that now he wasn’t scared of his parents anymore, that he could tell them to stay in line and they finally respected it. He also wished he wouldn’t do this when Magnus was around, because it was awkward as hell. 

“I was afraid I couldn’t be here because I went to the Iron Sisters today,” Robert explained. “We wanted to give you something, but-”

“We don’t want you to think we’re overstepping. We’re fine if you don’t want them-” Maryse interrupted him.

“We just thought you could appreciate it. But we’re not claiming any sort of right over them, of course-”

“We know warlocks don’t have this sort of things, and we don’t want to make you feel like we’re pushing our traditions over yours-”

“Whatever they may be-”

“I’m sure they’re absolutely fine-”

“Oh yeah, I bet warlock traditions are amazing-”

“It’s just that we-”

“Just tell us what this is all about!” said Alec finally. Magnus thanked him silently, touching his arm again. 

Maryse and Robert exchanged a quick worried look and then Maryse nodded. Robert took a small blue velvet sack from his left pocket and handed it to them.

Alec kept his arms crossed, so it was Magnus who took it. He looked at Alec and saw him nodding, so he hesitantly opened it.

“ _Oh,_ ” he said, because every other word in his mind was suddenly wiped off.

“Oh,” Alec parroted.

Two Lightwood rings were now on his palm, newly polished, the silver shining at the light of the chandeliers and the flames and capital L carved on it by the skilled hands of the Iron Sisters.

“You don’t have to give them to the kids just yet-” said Maryse.

“Or ever!” Robert added. “It’s up to you, really. We don’t want to be disrespectful. We just wanted to tell you that we’d be happy if you did.”

“It’s a way to tell them they’re part of the family. _Our_ family, not _their only_ family, but still… _a_ family.”

“I…” Alec started, then shook his head. “This is not my choice to take.” He looked at Magnus expectantly, not that he noticed. He was still staring at the rings.

He knew Alec wanted to marry him with a real shadowhunter ceremony, and that meat that Magnus was going to have his own Lightwood ring one day. He already had charmed Alec’s with all the protection spells ever created and even more, so he wasn’t new to them either.

He knew why Robert and Maryse had looked so hesitant. All shadowhunter families had their rings, and they were afraid to look like they wanted to erase Magnus’ presence, giving them the rings. After all, theirs was not a shadowhunter family, not entirely.

It _was,_ partially, though. And it was only one family, so everyone of them was that little bit of a warlock and that little bit of a shadowhunter all the same now, all the four of them.

Robert and Maryse used to haunt downworlders in their free time in the past, and now they were asking him, a very much unconventional warlock, permission to give their family ring to his downworlder child. And they were looking at him like his answer could break them.

The rings disappeared from his hand and appeared in his pocket with a glowing shower of sparkles. The other three next to him clinched.

“Thank you. I… the kids will love them,” he said at last. “Thanks, Robert. Thanks Maryse. I think they’ll be just fine.”

He heard Alec let out a breath he was holding. “We aren’t giving them the rings just yet,” he said. “They wouldn’t understand their meaning, it’s still too soon. But we will. At our own pace. Is that okay?”

Maryse jumped to hug his son’s neck and he squeezed her just tight, after a long moment of confusion in his eyes. Robert uncomfortably patted Magnus’ shoulder, and he gave him a tentative smile.

When they got back in, it was snowing inside. Rafael and Jace were with the others now, and they were playing snowball fights. 

Rafael was on Jace’s shoulders, both his hands full of snow, while Max was on Simon’s, clapping and making more snow with each clap.

Isabelle and Clary looked like they were taking all of it just a bit too seriously, rolling in the snow like they were at war, Isabelle shoving Clary’s face in the snow while Clary was pulling her hair.

Alec, Magnus, Maryse and Robert looked at the scene in front of their eyes in stunned silence, when a snowball flew all the way towards them and hit Maryse full on her face.

The world went perfectly still.

“ _Ops_ ,” Kadir said, shrugging.

“You’re _so_ going to regret this,” she hissed, and jumped in the mix.

A few seconds later, every one of them had joined, even Robert, that was now siding with a far too shocked Simon. 

Alec was shouting to Magnus that his magic was definitely cheating, all covered in snow, and Max was more and more thrilled by the second, the room now with already more than one foot of snow and going. Rafael looked happy like he hadn’t been in days, shoving some snow in the back of his grandmother’s shirt.

Magnus smiled at last, giving the snowflakes falling in the room a few glowing sparks, because what was better than glittery snow?

Something hit his head and he turned just in time to see Clary sticking out her tongue.

“Oh biscuit, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“Bloody hell!” Rafael commented with a grin, and Alec froze.

“Who taught you that word?” he asked, far too calm.

“Uncle Jace!”

“ _Ah!_ Traitor!”

“ _Jonathan Christopher Lightwood Herondale_!” Maryse screamed, so loud that the crystals on the chandelier clinked. “Come right here and answer for your crimes or else!”

The NY institute hadn’t heard all those laughs in years, or probably ever.

It had never been so beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic got longer than expected lol.
> 
> So, how was it? Hope I didn't push it too much with the fluff but I wanted something light hearted 🙊
> 
> I've always thought Rafe and Jace have too much in common and they should totally bond over it.
> 
> Also, I have already posted the fic where Magnus and Alec give the kids their rings, it's called “Heritage” and it's part eight of the Lost Book of the White Countdown event. You'll find it in my profile if you're interested 🥰
> 
> All comments are highly appreciated! Thanks for reading and happy holidays ❤️


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